817 series
The 817 series, branded Commuter Train 817, is a Japanese commuter electric multiple unit. Built from 2001 to 2015 in five batches for JR Kyushu, the 817 series sets are used on the Chikuhō, Kagoshima and Nagasaki Main Lines and the Sasebo Line. History The 817 series was designed following in the 815 series' image, in addition to replacing the older 457, 475 and 717 series sets used on JR Kyushu then. A total of 145 cars were built, with the first sets entering service on 6 October 2001 for use on the Nagasaki Main Line and Sasebo Line. 143 cars are in service and all are based at Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Minami-Fukuoka, Nōgata and Sasebo Depots. The sets are used on the Chikuhō, Kagoshima and Nagasaki Main Lines and the Sasebo Line. Design The 817 series adopted a modern design language for commuter trains on the JR Kyushu system. This design language was adopted for most of JR Kyushu's commuter trains. The sets have unpainted aluminum bodies with black accents, with Commuter Train 817 graphics splashed on the front. Each set has a different colored Commuter Train 817 logo on the sides of the car indicating which depot the set is based in; yellow for Nōgata Depot, red for Sasebo Depot, green for Kumamoto Depot, blue for Kagoshima Depot and orange for Minami-Fukuoka Depot. Specifications Construction is of a double-skinned aluminum alloy based on the Hitachi A-Train concept. Cars are 20 meters long, 2.95 meters high and 3.68 meters high. The 817 series sets use insulated gate bipolar transistor variable frequency drives manufactured by Hitachi which produce a shrill shriek; a software change caused the same drives to produce a different sound, this time being a loud hissing sound. The 817-1000 series sets are unique in that while they were built as two-car sets, a third intermediate car can be inserted into the sets to easily convert them into three-car sets for busy periods. Set VG114 was converted in March 2013 to be equipped with underfloor lithium-ion storage batteries, enabling the set to run over non-electrified lines. The set can run up to 30 kilometers (20 miles) on battery power. The set was tested on non-electrified lines from September 2013 and has remained in this form ever since. Results from these tests were used to develop the BEC819 series battery-electric multiple unit. Incidents On 1 October 2016, 817-1000 series set VK104 was involved in a collision between Sadohara and Hyūga-Sumiyoshi Station on the Nippō Main Line. The front end of the set was very heavily damaged as a result and withdrawn from service the same day; the set was later hauled to JR Kyushu's Kokura Works for repairs. The extent of the damage was so great that the damaged part of the cab was covered up with some sort of tape or foil. As a result of this incident, 817-1000 series set VG112 was transferred from Nōgata Depot to Kagoshima Depot in December 2016 to replace set VK104. It is unknown where the set is located today; it is speculated that the set was scrapped, but there is also a possibility that the set is still undergoing repairs at Kokura Works and has yet to reenter service. References *Wikipedia.org Category:JR Group trains Category:Electric Trainsets Category:Hitachi locomotives